Many people have the false illusion that just because they have completed their website development through some Website Development Company successfully, hoards of customers will come pouring in. Wake Up!!!
That isn’t how this works. While there’s no denying the fact that a website is the first step to growing your customer base, it doesn’t end there.
Let’s imagine this scenario. You’re hosting a Christmas party for your friends and colleagues. But apart from passing out the invites to the party, you put in zero effort. No lip-smacking eats, no drinks, no decorations, no entertainment, nothing! Do you believe that your party will keep your guests interested and make them stay? No, right!
That’s the same with your website. You need more than a functional site to keep your visitors engaged and make them stay.
Have you ever wondered what makes people click on the dreaded “X” button on your site? What’s the reason behind your huge bounce rates, even when you have put a lot of time and soul into website development?
Here in this article, we give you a list of the top things that make your visitors leave your website as soon as they land on it. Once you find out what you’re doing wrong, you can contact our expert web designers to help you get sorted.
1. Loooooading…..Still Loading!
Remember that ultra-slow sloth (ironically named Flash) from Zootopia? Don’t let your website be that guy!
Now, when we say slow, we’re just talking about a delay of a few seconds. Yes, you read that right. A few seconds are all that matters when making your visitors stay or leave.
Long gone are the days of dial-up modems and spotty connections. With the broader implementation of 4G across the country, customers today have access to high-speed internet. This means they expect everything to happen fast. You can’t afford to be slow.
Irrespective of the quality of your content, you can be sure that your clients are not going to wait for it to load. Especially, when they can access a competitor’s site within half the time spent waiting for your page to load.
According to a report by Kissmetrics, nearly 47% of all users expect a site to load within two seconds, and almost the same amount leave a site if it takes more than three seconds to load.
Additionally, minimal loading time is a definite boost to your SEO strategies. Google has hinted that it gives better ranks to sites that have a great user experience and page load times are a significant factor in determining the overall user experience.
2. Your site looks like it was designed during the Dawn of the Internet
Whether you believe it or not, there’s the truth behind the saying, “People judge a book by its cover.” Yes, they judge your website and in turn your business on how you present it. You would have come across the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a lasting first impression.” So, make sure that you get the first impression bang on!
Coming to the big question, “What do people look for in a site?” Studies state that people don’t read line by line of your content. Instead, they just skim to get the big picture.
This means that you should have a “Proper Flow.” Your website must be structured in such a way to keep the reader engaged and make it easy for him/her to surf smoothly. Also, don’t forget to include a Clear, Call-To-Action. After reading (or skimming) the content, the user has to be explicitly told what to do? Subscribe, click, and so on.
While deciding on the layout of your page, think about how the human eye scans and perceives any written matter. This will help you in figuring out the right visual hierarchy for your site.
For instance, a study reports that people scan a text-heavy page in an “F” shaped pattern, whereas a page with lesser text is scanned in a “Z” shaped pattern.
So, if your page still looks like something from the 1990s, it’s time for a professional facelift by choosing the right Website Development Company in Gurgaon.
3. Difficult to Read Content
The design is more than the colors and themes you use on your site. The fonts, as well as the size and background, determine the overall effect.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fonts. What works for one site will never work for another, and even different pages on your site require different styles. Here are a few tips and tricks to find the best set of fonts that work for your website. You’re overwhelming the Visitor with Ads
Yes, we agree that ads help you generate revenue from your website, but that doesn’t mean you should pepper your page entirely with ads.
What you need to do is position the ads in such a way that it doesn’t detract from the overall user experience. The ads shouldn’t be the first thing the visitor sees when they land on your site, also make sure that the real estate space for ads on your site is not more than that of your actual content.
4. The Videos on your Page Auto-Play
While this may seem like a good idea at first glance, it doesn’t work out in real-time. Today’s consumers are so tech-savvy that they want to feel in control. They are highly wary of pages, which force content on them. Instead, they want to decide when and why they view particular content.
To avoid visitors feeling bombarded, turn off the auto-play option of videos on your page. Instead, give catchy titles and make them want to click on the videos on their own.
5. You’re still relying on Outdated Plugins
Come on it’s 2017! You can’t still expect your content to use Flash and provide your users with a seamless experience. In fact, even YouTube has discontinued the use of Flash and moved to modern HTML5.
So, if you still have Flash on your site, it’s high time that you make the switch. Additionally, to improve the overall UX and to score brownie points for SEO, make sure that you provide a summary or a transcript of the video for users who don’t want to watch the video.
6. Not a responsive web design
Hello, the mobile-first era has indeed begun a few years back. In fact, the vast majority of internet users rely on their mobile devices to access the web. Everything from checking emails to playing games and shopping is done on mobile devices.
So, it goes without saying that “Your website MUST be optimized for mobile users.”
Nothing is as frustrating as zooming repeatedly to access content on smaller screens. That’s the last thing you want your visitors to deal with, especially when they’re trying to find out more about your business.
“Consumers want convenience and don’t lose out on them because of the Challenges of viewing your webpage.”
Responsive web design is what helps to overcome this challenge. Always remember that users will tap the “Back” button without any second thoughts if they find that the site is not optimized for mobiles.
7. A Namesake Blog
When people land on your webpage, they want to see something new. They don’t want to be presented with the same old content for years.
When visitors see an inactive or outdated blog, the first thought that runs through their mind is this, “there’s nothing new here, so let me move on.”
You don’t want that to happen. The best and simplest way to achieve this is by maintaining an active blog. Try to update your blog with new content at least once every week. Before you go ahead and put up random articles on your blog, make sure that you create content that stimulates user engagement and conversation.
Additionally, an active blog does wonders for your SEO results.
8. Above all, your site design lacks personality
Brand Personality is a crucial factor in determining the success of your online efforts. Ask yourself these questions, “Does your website reflect your brand identity?” “Does it look unique and refreshing, or does it come off as yet another bland page?”
Today’s tech-savvy consumers are looking for something new. They love to be associated with brands that project their individuality and are open. Make sure that your webpage is heard among the cacophony of noises on the internet, by infusing it with your brand’s essence and personality.
CONCLUSION
So, there you go. These are the top 8 reasons why visitors leave your site within seconds. It all comes down to this. If you want your visitors to stay, you must give them a compelling reason to do so.
Is your website facing any of these issues? Get in touch with our expert web designers to give your site a professional makeover. Webfries is one of the leading Website Development Company in Gurgaon, and all our clients have seen tremendous growth in their online presence and brand visibility.
Schedule a free consultation call today, to find out what you can do to reduce bounce rates on your webpage. Call us @ +91-124-4379-633 or say hello to us @ www.webfries.com to get started